September 25, 2017 at 1:27 p.m.
Eight will wait
Antigo fends off Rhinelander at GNCs to end Hodags' championship streak
Eight will wait
The Hodags won three individual conference titles Saturday but could not make up ground on Antigo, which won the GNC tournament at the Elleson Tennis Courts and its first conference championship in girls' tennis in the process.
On the strength of four individual titles, the Red Robins outscored Rhinelander 35-32 in the conference meet and took the overall championship by seven points over the Hodags.
That ended Rhinelander's run of seven straight GNC titles. It was the first time, as a member of the GNC, that the Hodags have lost a conference championship, which overshadowed the bright spots on the day for Rhinelander.
"It feels really good," said Emma Roberts, fighting back tears following a bittersweet title at No. 3 singles. "I wish we would have won it as a team, but it feels really good,"
"We hung in there," coach Bob Heideman said. "I'm proud of the team. We'll improve, work hard and see what happens. This match wasn't decided until (late in the final round). That says something (about this team's resolve).
"Antigo was just slightly better in more positions. I give them credit."
The Hodags had to play catchup from the get-go, trailing the Robins by four points entering the tournament. Antigo had the leg up in the seeding meeting, earning No. 1 seeds in four of the seven flights and advanced to the championship round in six flights.
As the championship matches began the Hodags still had a path to the conference title, but needed to win all five championship matches they were involved in. The Hodags got one out of Emma Roberts, another from Kenedy Van Zile at No. 4 singles and a third from No. 2 doubles tandem Alexis Pyrchalla and Madi Losch, but when Antigo's Izzy Matuszewski rolled past Rhinelander's Alex Oestreich in the finals at No. 2 singles 6-0, 6-2, the Hodags reign in the Great Northern Conference was over. A short time later, Antigo's Maya Gaetdke downed Rhinelander's Belinda Weddle 6-0, 6-3 at No. 1 singles to earn conference singles player of the year honors.
"We knew against Gaedtke what we had there, but Matuszewski was much better than I thought she was," said Heideman, who noted that Matuszewski missed both dual meets against the Hodags due to injury. "Most of the coaches I talked to said she was inconsistent. I didn't see it. She just overpowered Alex like no one has all season. I have to hand it to her."
Rhinelander's first shot in the arm in its conference title bid came from an unlikely source as Losch and Pyrchalla made a run as the third seed to a title at No. 2 doubles. After downing Phillips' Kate Chapman and Trinity Pesko 6-2, 6-0 in a play-in match, the Hodag tandem upset Antigo's Sydney Lenzner and Pia Spychalla in the semifinals 6-3, 6-2 before defeating top-seeded Mandi Baker and Marian Leader from Medford 7-6 (4), 7-5 in the championship match.
Losch and Pyrchalla were 0-4 on the season against Antigo and Medford heading into the conference tournament.
"That gave us more motivation coming in," Losch said.
Pyrchalla added regarding the Medford match, "That was probably the best win," especially considering she and Losch lost a third-set tiebreaker to the Medford duo eight days earlier in a conference dual.
Heideman toyed with the idea of splitting Losch and Pyrchalla apart earlier this month, but said the two have rounded into form.
"(Alexis) went and practiced harder and it shows," he said. "With Madi, she's just so new to tennis that it's been little things from the beginning where she's gotten a little better, a little better and I think the best way to put it is as the season's wore on, her athleticism has come through a little more - running and take shots."
After beating Medford's Lilly Brost in the semifinals 6-3, 6-0 at No. 4 singles, Van Zile downed Antigo's Avery Nicholson 7-5, 6-2 in the championship, avenging Van Zile's lone conference loss of the season.
"I wasn't in my head a lot," Van Zile said of the difference in the rematch. "That helped. It's kind of a mental game. I think I got in her head a little bit, she started to mess up and I just took advantage of it."
The weather was a factor much of the day as the tournament was played under a baking sun. The temperature soared into the upper 80s on an unseasonably warm early Autumn Saturday.
"I think we talked more about heat than we did the opponent," Heideman said. "It's was going to be a factor. It was either going to be your friend or your enemy and much better your friend."
Emma Roberts said it was definitely a factor in her championship match against Antigo's Ellie Kelly, which Roberts took 7-5, 6-3. It was the last match to be completed Saturday.
"I think that was my toughest match all season, in the conference at least," Roberts said. "I was literally dying of heat. It was so hot, I thought I was going to pass out at one point."
The Hodags earned all-conference honors in all seven flights. Haley Seefeldt and Livi Roberts placed third at No. 1 doubles while Jackie Wells and Savannah Chartier finished third at No. 3 doubles. Both teams lost to Medford in the semifinals before cruising in relatively easy third-place matches. Those semifinal losses helped to put Rhinelander in a daunting and, ultimately, insurmountable position heading into the championship round.
"To be a conference champion, you have to get through those things," Heideman said. "We stumbled a little and just have to be a little tougher."
The Hodags return home Tuesday to take on D.C. Everest in its final regular season dual before WIAA subsectionals next Monday in Wisconsin Rapids.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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